Morpheme literally means something which has a shape, or a body. Buried in its past is an idea which says that if it has a shape it is complete and therefore has a meaning.

Morphemes are parts of words which have a meaning. They are used on their own, or in combinations, to form words in English (and in most other languages). If you have some understanding of the meanings of morphemes, then you will have a better chance of understanding new words as you come across them because the morphemes always have the same basic meaning. However, morphemes can change form without warning because they will often obey the rules of the language they came from. It all adds a little flavour to the sauce.

Technically this is a list of word stems rather than strict morphemes (morphemes can’t be made any smaller while stems are often combinations): but they are much more useful in this form. Have fun with them: stick them together in new ways and try to pronounce them. If that’s difficult, make up links which sound sweet to the English ear and think how clever you are. And then complain about English spelling if you dare…

The morphemes and stems are Latin and Greek.

MORPHEME	MEANING	EXAMPLES
a-, ab-,	against, away from	atheist, abdicate
ante	in front of, before	anteroom
anti	against, opposite	antibiotic, anticipate
-ar -er, -ir, -or	someone who does it	operator, thinker
-arian	a believer, follower	authoritarian, barbarian
artis	craft, skill	art, artist, artisan
aster, astra-	star	asteroid, asterisk (*)
audio	hear	audience, audio- lingual
auror, australis	south	Australia
auto	self	automatic, autobiography
barba	hair, beard	barber, barb
bene	well, good	beneficial, benefit
bi-	twice	biannual, binary
bios	life	biography, biology
boreor, borealis	north	Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)
caca, kakos	bad, evil, shit	cacophony, cak-handed
caedere, cis-	cut	precise, scissors, decisive, decide
chroma	colour	chromatic scale, chrome
chronos, kronos	time	chronometer, chronic
-cide	cut, kill	suicide, patricide, fratricide
circus, cyclus	round	circle, cycle, circumvent
cognare, cogni-	understand	recognise, incognito, cogitate
con-, cum	with	consumer, dining room- cum- kitchen
contra-	against	contradict, contrary
corpus	body	corporation, incorporate, corpse
cosmos	Earth, world	cosmology, cosmopolitan
credo	believe, trust	credit, creed, credulity
cumulus	heap	accumulate, cumulous (cloud)
currere, cursio	run	cursor, courier, course
dermis, derma-	skin	epidermis, hypodermic, dermatitis
di- ,dia-	across, in half	Diameter, dissect
dicto	say	dictation, diction, contradict
dis-, dys-, de-	bad, not, away from	dysfunctional, disable, disarm, deactivate
ducere, ductio	lead	Duke, educate, deduce, conduit, Dux
e-, ex-, exit, exeunt	go out of	exit, ex- student, education
educare, educo	lead out	Education, educate
-ee	action is done to them	payee, employee
em-, en-	put in, on	embellish, entrust
eu-	well, pleasant	euphony, euphoria, Eucharist
finis	end, complete	finish, fine, infinite, definite
frater	brother	fraternal, fraternity
gens, genus, gene-	origin, family, be born, become,	gene, general, generous, generate
geos	world	geography, geology
graphos	write , carve	graphite, engrave, grave
gratis	free, pleasing	grace, grateful, gratitude, ingrate
haema, haemo-	blood	haemophilia, haematoma
hetero-	different from	heterogenous, heterosexual
Homo	mankind	Homo Sapiens (thinking man)
homo-	the same as	homogenous, homophone
hypo-	under, beneath	hypodermic, hypochondria
hyper-	over, more than, extra	hyperactive, “hype”
infantia	can’t speak	infant, infantry
insula	island	insulate, peninsula, insulin
inter	between	international, internal, intern
intra	within, amongst	intravenous
-ism	set of beliefs	Nationalism, Communism
-ist	believer	Nationalist, Communist
-itis	inflamed, sore	tendonitis, tonsilitis, dermatitis
juvenis	young, youth	juvenile
kratia, cratia	state, government	aristocracy, autocrat
lithos	stone	monolith, lithograph
locus	place	locate, dislocate, local
logia	study of	geology, archaeology, morphology
macro	large, long	macron, macropod
mare (mer-)	the sea	marine, maritime, mermaid
maritus	husband	marital, marriage
Mars, mart-	Roman God of war	martial
mater	mother	maternal
mega	very large, great	megaphone
meta	above	metabolism, metaphor
metron	measurement	thermometer, meter, metre
micro	small	microscope, microclimate, microbe
mittere, missio	send out	mission, transmit, commissioner
multi	many	Multicloth, multiply, multilingual
non	not	non- functional, nonchalant
pater	father	paternal, paternity
pathos	feeling, emotion	sympathy, pathetic
pecus	cattle, (= wealth)	pecuniary, impecunious
ped, pedis, pod	foot	tripod, pedal, impede
penin	almost	peninsula
per-	through, by way of	perhaps, perceive, percent
philo	love	philosophy, Anglophile
phobos	hate, fear	phobia, arachnophobia
phonos, phon-	sound	phonetic, telephone, euphony
planos	flat, even	plane, plan
poly	many	polygon, polyester, monopoly
porto	carry	portable, porter, transport
post	after	post, posterior
pre-	before	premix, prepare, preach
psyche	mind, spirit, soul	psychological, psychiatrist, psychic
radix	root, radish	radius, radial, radical
retro-	backwards	retrograde
ruptio	burst	rupture, erupt
soror	sister	sorority
sub	under	sub- standard, submarine
super	over, above	Superman, superintendent, supersonic
supra	on, on top of	suprastructure
sym-, syn-	with	symphony, sympathy, synthetic
tele-	from a distance	telephone, television, telescope
terra	Earth	terrain, territory, terrace
theos	god	theology, atheist, enthusiasm
thermos, therma-	heat	thermometer, thermal, hypothermia
trans-	over, across	transport, transplant, tradition, intransigent
vertere, verso	turn	adverse, revert, pervert, verse
videre,visio	see	vision, advice, envy, provide, survey